For Gates, it’s great hands but bad feet

Antonio Gates was wheeling around on a scooter that kept his right foot elevated Wednesday.

The toe and ankle injuries that were known to be hobbling him the past two weeks were on his left foot.

In the second half of Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans, a game in which he caught five passes for 123 yards, Gates popped the plantar fascia in his right foot. Plantar fasciitis is the ailment for which Gates sought a medical opinion in May, but it had not bothered him this season until he attempted to compensate for the injuries around his left foot in the Chargers’ Oct. 24 loss to New England.

“My (right) foot was on fire,” Gates said of the aftermath of the Patriots game. “It was so bad, it was like my toe and ankle didn’t bother me anymore.”

The breaking of the plantar fascia actually allows for healing, eliminating the tightness with which Gates had to play against Tennessee. The plantar fascia is a band that runs from the heel to the toes and works with the arch of the foot when the foot pushes off. The tearing is extremely painful.

“It’s the worst feeling in the world,” Gates said. “Sometimes you feel your career is coming to an end.”

Monday, Gates had to be driven to his car in a cart because he couldn’t walk.

Dr. Phillip Kwong, a foot specialist with the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic, said people find it difficult to walk for two weeks or more after tearing a plantar fascia.

“I think it’s going to be really tough to play with any proficiency this Sunday, unless they do a remarkable job anesthetizing him,” Kwong said. “… He has a lot of demands on him at his position. This injury will make it difficult for him to push off and be explosive.”

Gates has been able to play in relative comfort thanks to painkilling injections, but the hurt is almost intolerable when those wear off.

Gates declared privately after the Titans game he was out for this week’s game at Houston.

“I was in so much pain,” Gates said. “… But you take steps, you prepare the right way. I hope I can go.”

He described the scooter and other measures he is going through as giving him “a chance” to face the Texans.

“That’s how important this game is,” he said. “I know I said last week’s game was important. But the fact we won makes this game even more important.”

VJ as AJ

Usually it’s a scout team receiver — or in past seasons, erstwhile receiver Kassim Osgood — practicing as the other team’s No. 1 receiver.

On Wednesday, Vincent Jackson suited up as Texans star Andre Johnson to go against the Chargers’ No. 1 defense in practice.

“Another beast playing a beast,” Quentin Jammer said with a laugh. “He got out there and gave us a good look on what we’ll see out of Johnson.”

Jackson was practicing with the Chargers for the first time since signing his contract Friday. He is on the Roster Exempt List and will be eligible to play Nov. 28 at Indianapolis.

Voting as a block

The newest congressman from the great state of New Jersey was a right offensive tackle for the Chargers less than a year ago. Jon Runyan, the 6-foot-7, 330-pound, 14-year veteran who signed with San Diego last November and immediately announced his plans to run for office after retirement, beat Democratic incumbent John Adler for the House of Representatives seat from the state’s 3rd District.

“He’s going to do a good job,” said center Nick Hardwick. “He’s an honest guy, shoots straight. I guess the thing about being a congressman is that you’re supposed to be an ordinary citizen, right? Jon’s one giant ordinary citizen.”

•Outside linebacker Larry English returned to practice for the first time since Sept. 27 foot surgery. He was limited and it is not known when he will play in a game.

•The way the Chargers have been hit by attrition to their receiver corps, you never know, but a smile creased the face of special-teamer Quinton Teal when he was asked about running routes and catching passes during position drills.

Said Teal: “Just fooling around. I haven’t caught a pass — a pass that was intended for me — since I was in high school.”

Teal, listed as a free safety, didn’t work at receiver in the team portion of practice.